Six cases and counting, whooping cough in McLennan County

WACO -- The symptoms from this respiratory infection can stick with you for months, with signs mimicking anything from a common cold to an asthma attack. It's Pertussis, best known as whooping cough.

"What'll happen is over time, they will have this cough. And with children, they will get to a point especially infants, it will become very, very difficult to breathe. They pretty much almost cough themselves to death," Jacque Walker, Community Promotion Specialist with the McLennan County Public Health District said.

McLennan County now has six confirmed cases and are evaluating seven other cases for potential infection, primarily in Robinson.

But according to the McLennan County Public Health District, the infection is moving.

"At this point in time we know it began with an adult and is somehow spread throughout the community and now it is going to another community because one of the children is actually in the Hewitt area. So it's, kind of moving around a little bit," Walker said.

Last year the county only confirmed four cases.

The infection is contracted through droplets from someone coughing or sneezing.

Although it can be treated, there is a way to avoid it.

"First thing is prevention and prevention is being immunized. I think that would be the first step for your children as well as yourself," she said.

Children can begin getting the immunization when they're two months old, but the vaccine does wear off so it's important to get a booster shot.

If you think you or your child contracted the infection, here's what to listen for:

"If it continues and it gets worse especially to the point that they're gasping for air with each cough, they need to go to the doctor immediately."

The McLennan County Public Health District vaccinates daily. For uninsured patients, the vaccine costs about 15 dollars.

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says: April 26, 2012 at 12:40am

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no, the hardened clriinams of the illegals are rare, the rest are wonderful-work for almost nothing, and get NO benefits...and just live peaceably according to their own customs...which include racking up billions through free health care using our tax money, because it is "customary" to have many children, and all of the programs that give aid to the now new American citizens, custom. NO PROBLEM! We're the melting pot, right? This is definitely not racial discrimination, because there are innumerable outstanding American citizens from Mexican origen, setting high standards for others, and NOT condoning the extreme dependency patterns enabled by our excessive kindness, and the willingness to take advantage of it ruthlessly. true, the horrible crime depicted in the post is not common, HOWEVER, it was enabled by our weak borders and ENABLED by the same program the encourages generation after generation of dependent families, on American charitable programs. The small pay is more than made up for, in a really backhanded way. Nothing is free, that's for sure.

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